Operational Leadership

Wednesday, March 30th

10:00 AM
The Power of Experience – Succession Planning and Leadership DevelopmentSpeakers: Shaun McFatridge, Southwest Gas Corporation
Annabelle Louie, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Ryan Bradeen, Avista
How do you develop top talent? Who will eventually take the baton? In many organizations, the retirement of baby boomers continues to deplete today’s talent pool and the demand for effective leaders continues to grow. As a result, careful planning or succession management at all levels has become a top priority for many companies. You’re not alone, we’re all searching for the right skills for the right place. Join us as we embark on various “succession management” journeys and go beyond the traditional roots of succession planning.

Come join an interactive panel presentation with representatives from Southwest Gas, Pacific Gas & Electric and Avista that will discuss various management development programs. During this session you’ll hear stories from three individuals that have participated in their companies succession management programs. You’ll hear the various aspects of each program and how it’s played a role in the development of each individual.

3:30 PM
Leading Today’s Multi-Generational Workforce
Speaker: Eric Mead, Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness
The face of the workforce is changing in every industry. Instead of new workers replacing a retiring population, “Millennials” are joining organizations made up of “Baby Boom” and “Generation X” professionals who are, by choice or necessity, delaying entry into retirement. Leaders across industries are now faced with the unique challenges of effectively managing and maintaining a multi-generational workforce, including how to attract and retain workers/employees who have very different needs and expectations. This workshop looks at the demands faced by today’s multi-generational organizations and provides practical tips and strategies that leaders can use to increase retention, improve employee engagement, and capitalize on the results.

Thursday, March 31st

10:00 AM
Leading During a Crisis in Today’s Changing Utility EnvironmentSpeakers: Jeff Millar, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Ben Peco, BC Hydro
Expectations of utility sector leaders during a crisis have become more complex in recent years, and will continue to evolve quickly as we move forward. Leaders today have to balance the need to deal with the crisis itself with pressures from outside influences such as regulators and government, all while having to satisfy a public that has an expectation of having accurate real-time information. They are literally “leading out in the open”, and it’s a challenge that is not only demanding, but unforgiving.

Please join two outstanding speakers that will provide their insight into the challenges that they see leaders facing in today’s world while leading their organizations through a crisis. Jeff Millar is a Senior Public Safety Specialist with Pacific Gas and Electric Company whose serves as the PG&E Agency Representative, coordinating and integrating PG&E’s restoration efforts with the public safety agencies’ emergency response. Jeff has had a 34 year career in emergency response and resource management and he retired as a Battalion Chief from CAL FIRE in 2011. Ben Peco is the Senior Manager for Security and Emergency Management at BC Hydro, and has responsibility for security, emergency and business continuity management and disaster preparedness. Prior to joining BC Hydro in 2012, Ben worked in the telecommunications industry where his experiences included designing, implementing and delivering emergency, security, and crisis response plans for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and 2012 London Summer Olympics.

Jeff and Ben will provide their unique perspectives on how they see leaders adapting to today’s challenges, and what the future may hold for leaders trying to successfully take their organizations through a crisis. Your questions and input will be welcomed throughout the session.

1:00 PM
Identify, Influence, Empower – The Expectations of a Field LeaderSpeaker: David Brunson, Southwest Gas
Why do organizations have crew leaders or foreman? How do crew leaders/foreman know if they are a good leader and what leadership traits is the company looking for? The definition of a crew is a group of people working together to accomplish a task, usually under the direction of a foreman or leader. Crew Leaders/foreman are experts at their trade, but are now asked to lead a crew to accomplish a project. More often than not, highly motivated individuals are promoted into this position with no formal leadership training. Beyond standardized devices that are used to identify and discover an organization’s future leaders, there exist a set of critical skills and disciplines that one must possess to advance as a Field Leader. Programs directed towards individuals identified as leaders are aimed at developing the behaviors, disciplines, and skills required to become effective field leaders.

Please join a talented and insightful speaker that will share his own experiences as a crew leader and the benefits of developing a formalized leadership program for field leaders.